Glimpses of a Matured Personality (Part 2)

3/10/2016 12:00:00 AM
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In the first part of this article last week, we discussed about the transformation that will take place in our personality on acting upon the understanding of Surah Al-Asr, Surah Al-Baqara (ayat 177), Surah Al-Muminun (ayaat 1-11), Surah Al-Marij (ayaat 22-35) and Surah Luqman (ayaat 12-19). This will add finishing touches to our personality, making it a matured one and like the one which is liked and loved by Allah the Exalted, having the following salient features as mentioned in the last ruku of Surah Al-Furquan, ayaat 63-77.

We have already discussed that the first and foremost consequence on adopting the characteristics as mentioned in the above referred toayaat would be reflected in our attitude which will change so thoroughly that it can be seen at first sight from our “gait” (the way we walk) only - as we will be noble, humble and good-natured people. Secondly, if we happen to come across people who behave rudely and disrespectfully towards us, we will wish them peace and turn away. Thirdly, the next feature as discussed last week was the references made to additional salah i.e. nafl and more precisely tahajjud prayer so as to ensure that ouribadah (worship) and good characteristics have not made us vain and proud to presume that we are the beloved ones of Allah. Thus, all our birr (righteousness) or higher level of piety go in vain and will have no weight before Allah on the Day of Judgment and it shall only remain as a tool with which we fooled ourselves and others in duniya.

Lastly, in the first part of the article last week we tried to understand the golden rule as regards to spending. In this context we tried to learn the concept of israf. May Allah save us from it, amin.

Now, the next feature is that the matured personality – the true servant of Allah - refrains from three great sins (akbar-ul-kabair): Shirk, murder and zina (adultery). The believers don’t invoke, call or pray anyone but Allah. Themushriks of Arabs believed in Allah but they had some imaginary gods and goddesses also whom they invoked help too. This was their shirk. Human life is sacred and one cannot take any human’s life in any way other than the four legal conditions, i.e., (1) some non-believer who has been declared as harbi with whom war has been declared, (2) a married Muslim who commits zina (adultery) is to be stoned to death, (3) if a Muslim murders some Muslim willfully then the relatives of the murdered person may either forgive the murderer with or without taking any compensation or takes the murderer’s life (life for life), and (4) in an Islamic state a murtad (one who converts to another religion after accepting Islam).

Similarly, the third biggest sin is zina or adultery. So, for all such persons their punishment on the Day of Resurrection will be doubled. “Except the one who may have repented (after those sins) and have believed and done righteous work, for them Allah will change his evil deeds into good deeds, and He is very Forgiving and Merciful”. Many instances of such people, who sincerely repented and reformed their lives, have been related in ahadith. For instance, Ibn Jarir and Tabarani have related an incident from Abu Hurairah, who says, “One day when I returned home after offering the Isha prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque, I saw a woman standing at my door. I saluted her and walked into my room, closed the door and busied myself in voluntary worship. After a while she knocked at the door. I opened the door and asked what she wanted. She said that she had come with a problem: She had committed zina, had become pregnant, given birth to a child and then killed it. She wanted to know if there was any chance of her sin being forgiven. I replied in the negative. She went back grief-stricken, exclaiming, “Ah! This beautiful body was created for the fire!” The next morning, after the prayer, when I related the night’s incident before the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him), he said, “You gave a very wrong answer, Abu Hurairah! Haven’t you read the Qur’anic verse which says: ‘(Those) who do not invoke any other deity than Allah...except the one who may have repented (after those sins) and have believed and done righteous deeds”? Hearing this from the Holy Prophet, I went out in search of the woman and traced her again at the Isha time. I gave her the good news and told her what the Holy Prophet had said in reply to her question. She immediately fell prostrate on the ground and thanked Allah, Who had opened a way for her forgiveness. Then she offered repentance and set a slave-girl, along with her son, free.”

This is the importance and strength of Tauba if done with the best of spirit. Tauba related to Huququl-lah (rights of Allah) has three pre-conditions to be effective i.e. (1) true repentance in our heart, (2) firm resolve never to commit that act again, and (3) to give it up in real sense. But in case of Huququl-ibad (rights of the people) another condition shall apply i.e. to ask forgiveness or compensate the person to whom we might have committed some injury or damage. It is only he who may forgive us otherwise Allah will not forgive us. Allah loves those who make real Tauba. It also revitalises and refreshes our iman (Faith) that further leads us to amle saleh (good deeds). We are all always vulnerable to khata (mistake of judgement) and nisyan (forgetfulness) which may make us commit some wrong or sin. So, Allah is so kind to us that He loves sincere tauba in such conditions, accepts it and changes our evil deeds into aml saleh (good deeds). Allah is ghafoor (The Most Forgiving) and raheem (The Most Merciful).

A matured personality does not give evidence (in a court of law, etc.) as regard to a false thing in order to prove it right and they have no intention to witness anything which is false, evil or wicked as spectators. Secondly, he does not indulge in laghv (futile) exercises. Laghv does not mean a sin but in Arabic the word laghv implies all that is vain, useless and meaningless and it also covers “falsehood”. He keeps himself from all sorts of “filth” of the society, moral impurity, obscenity or foul language. He does not go anywhere to hear or see or take part in any sort of “filth”.

Therefore, now when we have achieved some sort of maturity in our personality by getting closer to the Qur’an, we must try to make the best of our time (we do not know how much – may be few moments from now or may be another couple of years) we are left with. We should ensure that we do not waste time in useless and unproductive activities. A characteristic of the promised Paradise is: “. . . therein you will not hear anything vain or useless.”